This is Part 3 of a four-part series of relationships on the road. You can read Part 1 on marriage and Part 2 on Family. Up next for Part 4 is Strangers. 

Visiting with Alan in Wisconsin

It is not uncommon to have friends move away to other states as time passes. As I have grown older, friends have left southern California for life and adventures somewhere else. So, as KC and I planned our road trip, we tried to create a pattern around the US that maximized the amount of friends we got to visit.

Visiting Lizzy in El Paso, Texas!

A couple of times, right before pulling up to a friend’s home, I would start to worry about whether we would have enough to talk about or if we would get bored hanging out together. Then we would get there and my worry would dissipate. Each time, we would stay up late talking or hanging out together, enjoying being around each other again. There’s a sweetness to watching the miles disappear between you and a friend and rekindling the friendship in a new place.

Relaxing with Talula in Cleveland, Ohio

Visiting a friend in a new place and away from “normal” life (at least on our end) made the visit more concentrated, if friendships could be distilled. Or so my theory goes.

Relaxing with new friends after a day in the water in South Carolina

Meeting up with new friends that we met shortly before leaving to travel we also found ourselves staying up late and enjoying all the time we had with them.

Seeing old and new friends has been a highlight of this trip.

Other amazing friends we saw:

Brian in Moab, Utah

Sara Jo and Doug in Park City, Utah

Chris and Crystal in Florida

Brian in Boston, Massachusetts

Wendy visited us in Cleveland, Ohio

Visiting Nick and Heather in Chicago, Illinois (only Heather in this picture though)

Note: Early on, we visited three other friends (Michael and Jessica Alzen in Boulder, Colorado and Michelle Bluth), but forgot to take pictures.